Access to Justice
At the Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW), we believe that access to justice is a fundamental right — and a powerful pathway to equality.
Through this focus area, COVAW addresses the systemic, social, and structural barriers that prevent women and girls from achieving justice in all its forms: legal, climate, economic, and gender justice.
Our goal is to build a society where women and girls are empowered to claim their rights, influence decision-making, and thrive in environments that uphold fairness, equity, and dignity.
Key Pillars
COVAW works to strengthen the legal environment that protects the rights of women and girls, ensuring justice is accessible, survivor-centered, and inclusive.
Objective 1: Strengthening Policy and Legal Frameworks
We advocate for equitable laws, policies, and services that safeguard the rights and dignity of all people.
Through collaboration with government institutions, legal actors, and community partners, COVAW promotes effective implementation of laws that address violence against women and girls (VAWG) and ensures that justice systems remain responsive to survivors’ needs.
Objective 2: Enhancing Access to Justice for SGBV Survivors
To make justice a reality for survivors, COVAW continues to strengthen its pro bono legal support scheme by training and connecting a network of volunteer lawyers.
We also offer legal aid services, particularly for women and girls with disabilities, while raising public awareness on survivors’ rights and available legal pathways to justice.
COVAW recognizes that climate change is not gender-neutral — it disproportionately affects women and girls, particularly in vulnerable communities.
We champion feminist climate leadership that promotes resilience, participation, and equality.
Objective 1: Empowering Women to Adapt and Lead in Climate Change
COVAW empowers women and girls to become agents of change in climate action by:
- Enhancing their leadership in climate decision-making platforms.
- Conducting research and documenting how climate change uniquely affects women.
- Advocating for gender-responsive climate policies and laws.
- Promoting equitable funding for women-led adaptation and mitigation initiatives.
Economic empowerment is essential for sustainable justice. COVAW supports women and girls to gain equal access to financial resources, employment, and entrepreneurship opportunities — breaking cycles of poverty and dependency.
Objective 1: Expanding Women’s Access to Economic Resources
COVAW strengthens women’s participation in socio-economic spaces by:
- Raising awareness on economic opportunities and funding access.
- Training women in entrepreneurial and financial management skills.
- Advocating for inclusive investment policies and increased budget allocations for women at county and national levels.
We push for policy reforms that make investment and economic programs more inclusive and women-friendly, empowering women of all social classes.
Objective 2: Protecting Women in the Paid Childcare Sector
Women in paid childcare play a vital role in community development, yet many face exploitation, low wages, and unsafe working conditions.
COVAW is working with the Kenyan Government, labor unions, and civil society to:
- Strengthen labor protections and enforce fair wages.
- Prevent sexual harassment and gender-based violence in workplaces.
- Raise awareness about care workers’ rights and build long-term reforms aligned with ILO and CEDAW commitments.
True gender justice means transforming the social and structural inequalities that hinder women’s full participation in public and private life.
Objective 1: Reducing the Burden of Unpaid Care Work
COVAW advocates for recognition and fair compensation of unpaid care work, which often goes unseen yet sustains families and economies.
We engage in research and policy advocacy to:
- Promote inclusion of care work in national labor policies.
- Advocate for decent wages, safe working environments, and social protections.
- Empower care workers to claim their rights and report violations.
Objective 2: Increasing Access to Education and Protection for Girls
Education is key to justice and empowerment. COVAW supports girls’ access to education by:
- Connecting them with scholarships and mentorship opportunities.
- Training teachers as gender champions to prevent and respond to school-related SGBV.
- Raising community awareness on eliminating barriers such as child marriage, FGM, and cultural taboos that hinder girls’ education.
Our Commitment
Through its Access to Justice pillar, COVAW is advancing a comprehensive approach to justice — one that transcends courtrooms and laws to include economic equity, environmental justice, and gender equality.
By empowering women and girls to know and claim their rights, COVAW continues to build a Kenya where justice is inclusive, accessible, and transformative for all.
